Getting Around Kelowna
Tourism Kelowna counts more than 25 wineries in Kelowna itself and nearly 40 across Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country, out of well over 200 in the Okanagan Valley. A tasting day that takes in several of them suits hourly chauffeur service: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve, and nobody in your party has to drive.
Kelowna and West Kelowna are joined by the William R. Bennett Bridge, a five-lane floating bridge on Highway 97 that opened in 2008 and is the only crossing of Okanagan Lake between the two. Traffic often slows near the bridge, so leave extra time for an address across the lake in West Kelowna.
UBC Okanagan is on Highway 97 in north Kelowna, across from the airport and about 20 minutes from downtown, which makes campus visits and airport runs short trips. Send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
Airport Transfers in Kelowna
Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is 16 km from downtown, 20–25 minutes by car on Highway 97. It has a single terminal and handled 2,315,432 passengers in 2025, which made it Canada's 9th busiest airport. YLW has no US preclearance and is the busiest Canadian airport without it. There is no rail link, and the local bus routes to the airport do not run in the evenings or on weekends. Book with your flight number. For an arrival, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pickup to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur.
Kamloops Airport is 221 km away, 2 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes, and Abbotsford International 330 km. The right one depends on your airline and route.
For a departure from Kelowna, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: allow 20–25 minutes to YLW, and more from West Kelowna if the bridge is busy. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pickup time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Multi-City Travel from Kelowna
Highway 97 strings the Okanagan towns together. Vernon is 51 km north, 45 minutes to 1 hour, and Penticton 63 km south, 50 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. In August 2026 Crankworx brought its mountain-bike festival to SilverStar, near Vernon.
Towards the coast, the Okanagan Connector (Highway 97C) leads to the Coquihalla. Abbotsford is 325 km away, 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 25 minutes, and Vancouver 388 km, 4 hours 5 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes; Whistler is 420 km, 5 hours 35 minutes to 7 hours 30 minutes.
East into the Rockies, Lake Louise is 423 km from Kelowna, 5 hours 10 minutes to 7 hours, and Banff 480 km, 5 hours 50 minutes to 7 hours 55 minutes. A trip of that length is a full day on the road, best planned with a car big enough for everyone's luggage.
Groups & Event Travel in Kelowna
Big White is 62 km from Kelowna on Highway 33, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Enter the number of bags in the booking form; for skis, golf bags or other bulky items, tell support so the vehicle is matched to the load.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If a wine-tour party or a ski group reaches YLW on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a group travelling together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats.
Around Christmas and New Year, arrange the ski transfers in good time: local vehicles and drivers are booked up early for those weeks. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
